The Italy-based maker of Turkey's first planned military satellite said the construction of the Gokturk satellite is on track, with a scheduled launch in 2013, despite objections raised by Israel against the device's operational capabilities.

Relations between former allies Israel and Turkey have been at their nadir since last May, when Israeli commandos raided a Turkish-led aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, killing nine Turks onboard one of the ships. The Gokturk satellite has become the latest dispute between the two new adversaries.

"Gokturk is on track for a launch window in line with contractual requirements," according to a March 21 statement from Telespazio.Telespazio, a joint venture between Italy's defense giant Finmeccanica and France's Thales, a couple of years ago signed a deal worth nearly 250 million euros (about $345 million) for the Turkish military satellite. Finmeccanica has a 67 percent stake in Telespazio.

Asked if the satellite would meet the contractual specifications, the official said that "the satellite is being designed to meet the customer's operational requirements."

That includes a high-resolution optical sensor.

"The satellite program is on track at this point. It is at an earlier stage of technical design," said one senior Turkish procurement official.

Israel does not want to be photographed at high resolutions, and has raised objections to Turkey's military satellite program.

"Some people are disturbed by this. They say, 'Turkey will watch us from space in the future,'" Erdogan said March 11. "You have been watching us for many years, decades."

A senior Finmeccanica official earlier said his company also would seek to grab a Turkish contract for the next military satellite.

"The next satellite program involves a payload comprising a synthetic aperture radar, and the Finmeccanica Group companies will be even more competitive than in the past," said Paolo Pozzessere, Finmeccanica's commercial director.

Finmeccanica has been increasingly active in Turkey in recent years.

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica subsidiary, which already has signed a multibillion-dollar contract to jointly produce 60 T129 attack helicopters for the Turkish Army, also competes with the U.S. Sikorsky Aircraft in Turkey's ongoing utility helicopter program.

MBDA, a Finmeccanica-related company, is competing with U.S., Russian and Chinese rivals for Turkey's multibillion-dollar program to acquire long-range air and missile defense systems. Finmeccanica's aircraft firms also seek to develop military planes with Turkey.

Canadian jet fighters have flown their first mission in the skies over Libya as part of a coalition effort to rein in Moammar Gadhafi’s crackdown on pro-democracy rebels.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay said that four CF-18 fighters accompanied by two CC-150 Polaris refuelling aircraft flew a Monday morning mission to patrol the northern coast of Libya.

No shots were fired but Canadian fighter pilots are prepared to engage any targets – on the ground or in the air, MacKay told reporters.

“They will be ready for any inevitabilities. There’s no way . . . we can predict what they may encounter,” MacKay told a briefing at national defence headquarters.

He noted the Canadian jets are part of an international effort to enforce a no-fly zone and cripple Libya’s air force, which has been targeting rebels as they advance across the country.

Over the weekend, Gadhafi’s forces were the target of airstrikes and dozens of cruise missiles by the international air force.

“These high-level strategic strikes are to dispose airfields and the use of Libyan military assets that Gadhafi’s regime is using to target civilians,” MacKay said.

“Simply put, we want to disable their air force. We want to ensure that civilians are no longer the subject or the target of Gadhafi’s regime brutality,” he said.

MacKay said it was too soon to say whether Canadian jets, based in Trapani, Italy, would be flying bombing missions against Libyan targets.

“We are hopeful that the strategic targeting that took place within the last 24 hours has had its effect in terms of the capabilities of the regime’s forces,” MacKay said.

Monday’s flight marks the first time in more than a decade Canadian air fighters have been engaged in an active military mission abroad.

While the fighters are routinely used to safeguard Canadian sovereignty, they last flew combat sorties in 1999, when they flew bombing missions during the NATO bombardment of Yugoslavia.

In 1991, CF-18s flew during the first Gulf War – flying combat air patrols, escort missions and reconnaissance.

The morning mission over Libya was to achieve air superiority, protecting not only other coalition aircraft but also coalition ships engaged in enforcing the arms embargo.

However, a senior air force official said Canadian fighters have a “significant” capability to deliver air-to-surface weapons.

“Our crews are highly trained in the use of precision guided munitions,” said Maj.-Gen. Tom Lawson, assistant chief of the air staff.

“However, having said that, the risk in employing air-to-ground munitions in such a fluid environment is real,” Lawson said.

He said that Canadian pilots are working with “very strict” rules of engagement and are aware of the need to positively identify potential targets.

“To be clear, we will aim for no collateral damage,” Lawson said.

The Conservative government last week ordered the six jets to join an international effort imposing a UN-mandated no-fly zone over the country. The move is meant to halt Gadhafi’s strikes against pro-democracy rebels who are rising up against his four-decade old regime.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the opposition leaders over the weekend to discuss Canada’s escalating involvement. The Canadian frigate HMCS Charlottetown was deployed earlier and is now in the Mediterranean Sea.

The House of Commons was scheduled to debate the crisis and Canada’s role later Monday.

MacKay said another six fighter planes are on standby to deploy if needed, though he didn’t think that would be happening soon.

“There is no set plan at this point to deploy more aircraft into theatre. . . . What we’ll do is essentially wait and watch,” MacKay said.

Arcadis US, Inc., Highlands Ranch, Colo. (N62473-11-D-2226); Innovative Technical Solutions, Inc., Walnut Creek, Calif. (N62473-11-D-2227); Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio (N62473-11-D-2228); CE2 Kleinfelder, JV*, Pleasanton, Calif. (N62473-11-D-2229); Parsons Infrastructure & Technology Group, Inc., Pasadena, Calif. (N62473-11-D-2230); and AECOM-Envirocon, JV, San Diego, Calif. (N62473-11-D-2231), are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity performance-based environmental multiple award contract for environmental remediation services at various locations in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest and NAVFAC Atlantic areas of responsibility. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and four option years, for all six contracts combined is $500,000,000. The services include, but are not limited to: preparing decision documents and other supporting documentation; preparing design documents; preparing community relation documents; performing engineering studies; performing remedial actions; performing removal actions; performing expedited and emergency response actions at sites; performing pilot and treatability studies; providing facility operation, maintenance and instruction; and performing other related activities associated with returning sites to safe and acceptable levels of contamination. Arcadis US, Inc., is being awarded task order #0001 at $409,969 for the preparation of a soil hotspot characterization work plan for Parcel E, at Hunters Point Shipyard, San Francisco, Calif. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by March 2012. All work on this contract will be performed in California (80 percent), Arizona (3 percent), Colorado (3 percent), Alaska (2 percent), Nevada (2 percent), New Mexico (2 percent), Oregon (2 percent), Utah (2 percent), Washington (2 percent), and other Department of Defense locations (2 percent). The term of the contracts is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of March 2016. Contract funds for task order #0001 will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 11 proposals received. These six contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contracts. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $12,296,316 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for AIM-9X integrated logistics support for the Navy, Air Force, and the governments of Singapore, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Turkey, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Poland. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed in March 2013. Contract funds in the amount of $3,306,455 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.301-1. This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($4,661,108; 38 percent); Air Force ($4,945,270; 40 percent); and the governments of Singapore ($298,882; 2.43 percent), Australia ($298,882; 2.43 percent), Denmark ($298,882; 2.43 percent), Finland ($298,882; 2.43 percent), Turkey ($298,882; 2.43 percent), South Korea ($298,882; 2.43 percent), Saudi Arabia ($298,882; 2.43 percent), Switzerland ($298,882; 2.43 percent), and Poland ($298,882; 2.43 percent), under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-11-D-0004)

BAE Systems Tactical Vehicle, LP, Sealy, Texas, is being awarded $11,322,321 for delivery order #0010 under previously awarded firm-fixed-priced contract (M67854-07-D-5030) for the procurement of the following engineering change proposals: rear door handle kits; overhead gunner protection kit (OGPK) spotlight kits; OGPK aluminum spacers; and improved rear door combat locks and dual hole roxtec. Work will be performed in Sealy, Texas, and is expected to be completed by the end of March 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Computer Sciences Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $11,199,981 firm-fixed-price cost reimbursable, other direct costs contract for support services for the operation, maintenance, support, and management of Outside-the-continental-U.S. Navy Enterprise Network (ONE-NET), Far East Region. This contract contains a six-month base period and six, one-month option periods which, if exercised, bring the total estimated value of the contract to $22,379,705. Work will be performed in Yokosuka, Japan (61 percent); Guam (16 percent); Atsugi, Japan (6 percent); Misawa, Japan (4 percent); Sasebo, Japan (4 percent); Korea (4 percent); Okinawa, Japan (3 percent); and Singapore (2 percent). Work is expected to be completed by March 2012. Contract funds will not expire before the end of the fiscal year. This contract was solicited through General Services Administration e-Buy website, with one offer received. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N00189-11-F-0087).

BAE Systems Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, is being awarded a $7,924,347 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-4408) for repairs to USS Chosin (CG 65) during the ship’s drydock selected restricted availability. Efforts to include drydock, hull, machinery, electrical, electronics, ship alterations, boiler, and piping repair work. Extensive coordination is required for the drydock evolution, in addition to the numerous systems onboard to be repaired. Work will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by July 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $7,924,347 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Metro Fuel Oil Corp.*, Brooklyn, N.Y., is being awarded a maximum $46,798,065 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are throughout New York. Using services are Army, Navy, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 696 proposals solicited with 680 responses. The date of performance completion is April 30, 2014. The Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SP0600-11-D-8511).

Spraque Energy Corp.*, Portsmouth, N.H., is being awarded a maximum $20,977,456 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are in Maine, New York, and Vermont. Using services are Army, Navy and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 696 proposals solicited with 680 responses. The date of performance completion is April 30, 2014. The Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SP0600-11-D-8519).

ISObunkers, LLC*, Aston, Pa., is being awarded a maximum $9,023,100 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel. Other locations of performance are throughout New York and Pennsylvania. Using services are Army and federal civilian agencies. There were originally 696 proposals solicited with 680 responses. The date of performance completion is April 30, 2014. The Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity (SP0600-11-D-8510).

The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, Ga., is being awarded a maximum $8,540,919 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for bag-in-box beverages. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was Web-solicited with one response. This contract is exercising the first option year period. The date of performance completion is March 31, 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM300-10-D-9100).

PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y., is being awarded a maximum $7,701,038 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for bag-in-box beverages. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. The original proposal was Web-solicited with one response. This contract is exercising the first option year period. The date of performance completion is March 31, 2012. The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM300-10-D-9200).

ARMY

Fluor Intercontinental, Inc., Greenville, S.C., was awarded on March 21 a $16,223,618 cost-plus-award-fee contract. The award will provide for labor, supervision, tools, materials, equipment, incidental engineering, transportation, and management necessary for the maintenance, repair, and minor construction of buildings and structures and related systems and equipment. Work will be performed in Victory Base Complex, Iraq, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 21, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. The U.S. Central Command, Regional Contracting Center, Baghdad, Iraq, is the contracting activity (W912ER-04-D-0004).

Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., Annapolis Junction, Md., was awarded on March 21 a $6,862,692 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the support of casualty support and survivor outreach services to include long-term family management; mobile training terms and training development support; transitional base realignment and closure support; and strategic long range planning and operation services. Work will be performed in McLean, Va., with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2015. The bid was solicited through the Internet with two bids received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, National Capital Region, Alexandria, Va., is the contracting activity (W91WAW-09-D-0009).

AIR FORCE

Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus, Ohio, is being awarded a $7,808,962 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery, requirements contract modification for research toward the development of a coordinated response to potential chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive (CBRNE) threats. The results of this effort will provide Washington Headquarters Services, Facilities Support Directorate, with an analysis of requisite information that will be utilized in the development of CBRNE emergency preparedness standard operating procedures and continuity of operations to execute its mission and meet the requirement to protect and safeguard the occupants, visitors, and infrastructure of the Pentagon facilities. Work will be performed at the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio. 55 Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity (SP0700-00-D-3180, delivery order 0697)

L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a $7,261,201 firm-fixed-price contract for contractor logistics support for the C-12 aircraft for Pacific Air Force, Air Force Material Command, Defense Intelligence Agency, and Defense Security Corporation Agency, consisting of maintenance, repair, and support functions for seven months (including phase-in) from April 1, 2011 through Oct. 31, 2011. Work will be performed at L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, Madison, Miss. OC-ALC/GKSKH, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (FA8106-11-D-0002-0001).

INDONESIA AND CHINA ON TUESDAY AGREED TO STRENGTHEN THEIR DEFENSE COOPERATION, INCLUDING THE JOINT PRODUCTION OF MISSILES, THE ANTARA NEWS AGENCY REPORTED.

Indonesian Deputy Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Chen Qiufa, head of the Chinese Technological and Industrial Development Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the technical cooperation in the defense sector.

The agreement includes the supplying of military equipments, transfer of technology of certain military equipment, joint-marketing, and training programs, according to Brig.Gen. Wayan Midhio, spokesman for the Defense Minsitry.

Indonesia and China also agreed on establishing a joint-missile production in the future through strategic weaponry industry. The Indonesian army currently uses Chinese made missiles.

The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) equipped some of its warships with the Chinese C-802 rockets. China is recognized worldwide for it successful development of military equipment.

The Asian giant has been able to develop a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) called Dong Feng 21 (DF-21), which is two-stage, solid-propellant, single-warhead system.

On Thursday, Indonesia announced that it plans to produce 1,000 R122 rockets to support its defense system through the Technology Assessment and Application Agency.

The project would be carried out from 2012 to 2014, time in which the Indonesian government also plans to develop a "remote pilot vehicle" and an "area vehicle" as well.